Baby, You're a Firework
by superficialspacecadets
Summary: Annabeth is having the worst day ever, but Percy always seems to cheer her up.  NOT a songfic. Oneshot. No copyright infringement intended.  Happy V Day!


**Baby, You're a Firework**

**Hiya Fanfiction! Today is the day after Valentine's, so this little fluffy oneshot is a tad late, but I hope all of you little lovelies enjoy it anyway. On with the fluff!**

**PS-I'm not Rick Riordan or Katy Perry, in case that was unclear.**

It was five pm on Valentine's Day, and instead of packing up her laptop and heading home from her job at one of NYC's top architecture firms, Annabeth Chase was lying on her living room couch watching old Friend's reruns. Ask her why and she'll bite your head off; her already cruel and cynical boss took it a step further and fired her on Valentine's Day. And, unfortunately for Annabeth, that wasn't her only dilemma. No, the icing on the crap cake was that her longtime boyfriend Nico di Angelo broke up with her the night before over a major fight about potential wedding plans. So she was having a bad day, to say the very least.

Season one of Friends was playing, and it was Annabeth's favorite episode, The One With The Blackout. She'd always liked Paolo, but even his gorgeous Italian face couldn't cheer her up on this awful day. Chandler had just begun to attempt the swinging pen trick when Annabeth's cell phone started blasting Katy Perry's "Firework". She sighed, tried to pull herself together, and answered.

"Hello?" She mumbled into the receiver.

"Annabeth?" came a voice on the other side. It sounded almost like…no, it couldn't be. Percy Jackson, her best friend from Camp Halfblood?

"Percy Jackson, is that you?" Annabeth disbelievingly asked as she started to perk up. She could hear the smile in his voice as he responded.

"Yeah, it is. I'm pleasantly surprised that you can still recognize my voice."

"Well, of course. We were only best friends for our entire teenage existence." They both laughed.

"So, Wise Girl, how's your Valentine's Day going? Are you still dating Nico?" Annabeth scoffed in disgust. How in the world did she date him for so long? _I guess that's what happens when you're thrust into the real world with no other friends when you're 20 and broke, _she thought.

"No." She took a shuddering breath, trying not to lose it. "We broke up." Percy sighed sympathetically.

"Was it recent?" He asked.

"Percy, I don't want to talk about it." He could tell that it was a touchy topic, so taking the hint (for once), he changed the subject.

"Whatever you say, Wise Girl. So I'm actually back in New York for tonight, and the whole reason I called was to see if you wanted to hang. It could be like old times, like we were teens again." Annabeth hesitated a little before making a witty comeback.

"Percy, you wanted to get into my pants when we were teens." She joked.

"Lies. I did not." Percy said coolly. He did, of course, but she didn't need to know that. "What do you say? We could go see a movie or something, like normal friends do." Annabeth smiled.

"Sure, Seaweed Brain. I think that as the first person to make me smile all day, you deserve to get to hang out with me. Meet me at my apartment tonight at seven." She loved the fact that he still knew the address by heart.

"All right, Annabeth, see you then." Percy said, and hung up the phone. Annabeth set her phone back on the coffee table, and as fast as her happiness had grown, it disappeared again and left her watching Friends alone on the couch.

Two hours later, Annabeth was standing outside the front door of her apartment building just a tad happier than she was before. Percy showed up in a nice button down shirt and jeans. Being the sweet guy he is, he complimented her on her outfit: an old red sweater dress and leggings. He didn't have to lie, either.

"Ready to head out, Seaweed Brain?" Asked Annabeth.

"Let's go!" Percy said with a silly grin. Even her surly mood was no match for Percy's sunny disposition, and Annabeth too broke into a grin as they started to walk.

Together, Percy and Annabeth spent the whole evening taking, laughing and reminiscing on old times. They ditched their movie plans in favor of a couple hot drinks at Starbuck's and a stroll through the park. Annabeth told Percy all the gruesome details of her V Day from Hades, and he told her about his most recent failed relationship with some tan bimbo in California.

"Oh, how are you liking California, by the way?" Annabeth asked as she sipped her chai. Percy had moved there about two months after his nineteenth birthday.

"It's ok. Did you know that California is the single worst state for halfbloods to live in?"

"I was the one who told you that, Percy." Annabeth quipped.

"Oh yeah." Percy said. They both smiled as they came up to Annabeth's building.

"Well, Seaweed Brain, it was awesome to see you again. I really missed talking to you, and although today was one of the worst days of my life, you reminded me of how great I feel when I'm with you. And for that, Percy Jackson, I thank you." She said with a smile.

"I had a great time too, Annabeth." Percy said. She could tell he was holding something back, though; it was obvious in his expression. One long stare into her stormy grey eyes, and Percy's shell cracked.

"Ok, it was more than that. I miss you like crazy, Wise Girl. Not just occasionally when I think of you, but every single moment of my life. You're honestly the most amazing person I know, and I can't imagine why Nico would give you up." Percy looked down at his feet. He knew that Annabeth was tough and would say she was happy to hear this, but he also knew that one more bit of drama and that façade would disappear. What he didn't expect was for Annabeth's face to break out into a huge smile.

"That is the nicest thing I've heard all week. Hell, it's the nicest thing I've heard all month!" And with that, shoving all ambitions aside, Annabeth leaned in and kissed Percy. It was just like when they were kids, the best feeling in the whole world. At that moment, Annabeth knew that what Katy Perry said was true: we're all amazing people, just waiting for the right circumstances to let our brilliance shine.

**Sorry for the shitty ending. I couldn't decide how to fix it. Anyway, happy Valentine's Day! You're all beautiful fireworks (: **

**Read and Review!**

**Liz**


End file.
